Out of the Job
by Master Of All Imagination
Summary: Harvey fires Mike out of the blue and, prompted by Donna, Mike confronts him.  A heart to heart ensues with a surprising confession.  Slash!  Rated T for language.


**A/N: I've just been dying to add my own contribution to the growing Suits fandom, and being devoid of a muse, I turned to that perennial author favorite for inspiration: music. The song is Becoming by Jewel, and I pasted the lyrics at the end so you guys can see where I was coming from. Just a dumb sort of Harvey-coming-out story with extra angst and a clichéd first kiss. Haha, it would make me so happy if you reviewed it anyways, even to tell me how much it sucked! **

Mike stared dumbly as Donna held out the pink piece of paper.

"Donna, what- is this what I think it is?" As Mike reached for the paper, however, Donna held tight, and fixed him straight in the eye.

"Go. Now. He doesn't want this, and you're the only one who can save your job. And, quite frankly, you're the only one who can save Harvey." Mike's brows shot up at her addendum, but seeing the deadly seriousness in her eyes, he obeyed and stood from his seat, taking the paper from her and walking briskly towards Harvey's office. He opened the door- without knocking, of course, and he cursed the fact briefly, wondering if it would make Harvey even madder than he already must be to be firing Mike.

What the hell could he have screwed up this bad? The pro bono he had successfully wrapped up two days ago couldn't be it; maybe the paperwork from the Harrison divorce was somehow lacking? But no; he'd completed the two hundred pages of property claims and grievances a week ago, and he hadn't even been half-asleep while highlighting.

And so it was that Mike walked into Harvey's office totally unprepared and unarmed. Hearing the door open Harvey swung around from his place staring out his windows, and just as quickly swung back.

"Harvey, I think I deserve an explanation for this," Mike began, brandishing the pink slip. Harvey didn't respond beyond a dip of his head, but Mike was pretty sure he was staring at his feet more than acknowledging him. Mike should really have been angrier than he was, after all, he'd just been fired, but Donna's words echoed in his mind and convinced him there was more going on than he could see at the moment. He clung to the hope as he approached a silent Harvey, only to have the lawyer abruptly turn on his heel and head for his desk, falling heavily in his chair and swiveling to face away from Mike once more.

Harvey knew if he looked at Mike, his resolve would crumple and he would have no strength to say the words he needed. Hands thrust deep in his pockets, he stared straight ahead and began the rant he had so carefully constructed to tear down Mike and make him leave Pearson Hardman for good.

"Listen close, Mike, because I'm only going to say this once," Harvey said, his voice hard. "I'm so tired of you and all your puppy dog 'pity me' looks, all your whining and moaning, your always-care attitude. I'm sick of your skinny ties and cheap suits, your constant flirting with Rachel. I am _tired _of waiting for a sign, of waking up in the mornings with an impossible dream and going to bed every night with that dream crushed." Harvey realized he had begun to ramble. He had to finish, otherwise he'd end up spilling his guts to Mike like a teenager does to her diary. "But most of all, I'm tired of coming to work every day and in spite of all this, not being able to think of anything but you."

Mike gaped like a fish out of water. Was Harvey saying what he thought he was saying? Was Harvey telling him that he… _loved _him? Mike's heart skipped a couple beats at the thought.

"I can't work like this. I'm witnessing my own unraveling, Mike, and you're the cause. It's been almost a year, and for the first few months, I thought I could handle it. But the truth is, my work was slipping, and if I wanted to remain the best closer in the city, something needed to be done. You remember the day I hired you, and I told you that I would always put my priorities above yours? Well, you've been running first for a while now, but that has to change, and that's why you're fired."

Mike had pretty much zoned out into Mike-land at "you've been running first for a while now." He practically skipped over to Harvey and before the older man could bolt, he leaned down over him, hands slamming down on the arms of Harvey's chair, effectively trapping him in place and forcing him to look at him.

"You son of a bitch," Mike began, and seeing Harvey's eyebrows knot together in confusion finished,

"You _do _care!" In ecstatic tones. A ghost of something akin to a smile flickered over Harvey's features; but only for a moment before it was replaced by a resolute frown. He turned his head sideways to avoid Mike's gaze as he said, his voice thick,

"Goddammit, Mike, of _course _I care. How can you be in love with someone and not care about them? Have you even been listening the past ten minutes? It's exactly because I care that I'm firing you!"

Mike had zoned way far out again at "in love." Disgustingly sappy music was playing somewhere in the back of his mind, and his heart had gone from skipping beats to keeping time with a boom box with its frantic rhythm. Some quick thinking on his part came up with a somewhat witty sally, which he promptly accosted Harvey with, attempting to pick apart his poor go at logic.

"Forgive me if I'm being obtuse, but normally, bosses don't fire their employees because they love them, they fire them because they hate them. So I'm rather confused." Harvey's head whipped around again to face Mike, and there was only anger there this time.

"You haven't been listening. God, why did I even let you in here? Do you know how hard this is for me, Mike? Do you know how hard _you're_ making this for me? Harder than every day I spent having to see you and work with you, tortured with the knowledge that all we could ever hope to be was friends. I scratched and struggled my way to the top, and now that I've gotten here and taken a breath, you come along with a punch in the gut and take it all away. Well, I won't have it. I won't. Get out of my office, get out of this building, and don't _ever _show your face within twenty blocks of here again." He tried to turn his head once again, but Mike stopped him with a hand on his cheek that gently guided him to face forward. Harvey's eyes flicked everywhere but at Mike for a moment, but finally he relented and slowly made eye contact.

"How do you know that all we ever could have been was friends? Did you ever ask me? Did you even _think_ for one second before doing this?" It was Harvey's turn to gape like a fish.

"No, but I- Mike, what are you say-" before he could finish he was cut off by Mike suddenly descending upon him and pressing his lips to his in a kiss, hand still resting lightly on his cheek. It was a short kiss, tender and full of promise, and when Mike pulled back Harvey still had his eyes closed.

"Oh. That's what you were saying." Mike split into a grin and snatched another quick kiss.

"Does this mean I'm not fired?" The thought that Mike was maybe doing this only to keep his job briefly tortured Harvey; but he quickly dismissed it. People don't kiss their bosses that tenderly just because they don't want to be out of the job.

"Mike Ross, I am officially rehiring you," Harvey announced with his first smile that day. "And as your boss, I am ordering you to dinner tonight at seven," he said with mock severity.

"I wouldn't miss it," Mike said, drawing back from his perch over Harvey's chair and crossing to where he had discarded his pink slip. With immense satisfaction, he ripped it up and tossed it in the trash.

The smile he left Harvey's office with stayed with him the whole day and well into the night. When they walked into work together the next day holding hands and drawing stares, it was Donna's turn to smile triumphantly. She liked to think that all they needed to get together was a little push, and she'd been happy to supply one.

**A/N: Cue smug!Donna. Just cus I love her. Would it be weird if I added my own story to my own community? Hmm… haven't had a community for long, so can someone advise me? Also, crappy editing job is crappy. Feel free to point out any typos, I'll just go hang my head in shame. :D**

Becoming by Jewel

Listen, heart  
>Listen close-listen<br>2 the melancholy  
>Melody of your own voice<br>I am weary of my own dreaming  
>I am tired of waiting<br>So this time, I'm leaping

I reach-beyond myself 2 see  
>What I find, beyond my mind, there is no time<br>In this place beyond my sight  
>My heart knows what is not yet seen<br>I'm witnessing my own becoming

Lash myself 2 the  
>Mantle of my desire-I will<br>Turn from its temptations  
>But the wanting takes me higher<br>I am hurting  
>Oh, I am not yet born<br>I am the mother and the father  
>Of what is not yet known<p>

Darkness surrounds me  
>I scratch, I struggle, I breathe<p> 


End file.
